Chapter 200

Kansas City, Missouri, 1849

Jordan Findley looked nothing like what Christian was expecting. With the reputation of being a mastermind, a fierce fighter, and a fearless leader, Christian fully expected the man to be six foot five and weigh a solid two hundred pounds consisting entirely of muscle. Seeing the man sitting behind a desk in an office building in the up-and-coming city on the western side of Missouri, Christian was surprised at just how ordinary he looked. He was handsome, Christian supposed, not that he gave much thought to whether or not men were attractive, and he had a kind smile, but he wasn’t that tall and his shoulders weren’t even as broad as Christian’s. Overall, he was surprised to see just how fragile a creature the Guardian Leader appeared to be.
What he lacked in footprint, he made up for with enthusiasm. “You must be Major Henry!” He came around the desk and took Christian’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you, sir,” Christian said, again surprised. Hadn’t anyone told this man that he’d stormed off and left this organization because he’d refused to give him a leadership position? Apparently not. Either that, or he didn’t care. “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me.”
“Of course! I spoke with Morris on his way back to Pennsylvania just the other day, and he told me what an asset you’ve been to our operation. In fact, he mentioned that you served with both General Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Is that a fact?”
Christian nodded, not sure why that was significant.
“Please, have a seat,” the Leader insisted before going back around the desk. “How can I help you, Major?”
“Please, call me Christian.” It seemed so odd that the Guardian Leader was so enthusiastic about meeting with him. Really, shouldn’t it be the other way around? “I just… wanted to speak to you about… leadership opportunities.”
Findley nodded. “Oh, yes. It’s my understanding you were once interested in one of our Area Leader positions. We did fill those rather quickly. As you know, there were several established leaders already in place. But… I actually have another position in mind for you, something that’s not ready yet but should be within a few years. It wouldn’t be in a delegated area. Rather, it would be here, at our headquarters, in Kansas City.”
Raising his eyebrows, Christian hoped his face conveyed how interested he was. Ever since Brandy had died, he’d been questioning his decision to come back through the portal. While seeing Granger die had been satisfying, he had a long stretch of eternity in front of him, and he’d need something to occupy all of that time. “What would that be exactly?”
“Well, eventually, I’d like to build a facility here in Kansas City. I’ve chosen this location because it’s central. I believe the nation will continue to grow to the west, and eventually there will be a great deal of people living in California, and that part of the nation will just continue to become more populated as we enter the 20th Century.”
It was an idea Christian could agree with. He also thought California would become a state soon enough, followed by other areas to the west. “So you want your headquarters to be easily accessible to all Americans?”
“Precisely,” Jordan said with a nod. “To begin with. Beyond that, I would like to see it become a training center for people of our kind from all over the world.”
“All over the world?” Christian echoed. “But… how would they get here? By ship?”
“At first, perhaps. I believe, in years to come, we will have the technology to travel through the air in great winged transport devices.”
Christian stared at the man for a moment, wondering what science fiction novels he’d been reading. Of course, Christian was familiar with the current technology and knew that there were large hot air balloons that could transport people through the air. He’d heard that there were German scientists working on other means of getting similar results--better results. Christian was never one to question the possibilities. “Interesting,” he said with a sharp nod. “That would benefit our operations tremendously.”
“It would, wouldn’t it? All of that being said, we will, eventually, need someone to lead that portion of our operation, someone who understands science and isn’t limited by current inventions. I do believe, Christian, it is a distinct possibility that you just might be the man for the job.”
Again, shock incapacitated him for a moment as he thought about what that would mean. He’d wanted so desperately to lead a small team in one particular location, it hadn’t occurred to him that there might be a possibility for worldwide leadership--beyond the position Jordan Findley currently held and wasn’t likely to give up anytime soon. “That would be… astounding,” Christian managed.
“Of course, we aren’t there yet. The headquarters building I have in mind is years into the future. In the meantime, there are some projects I would like to assign you to work on. You should probably understand that I have asked Samuel Murphy to take over as the Philadelphia Area Leader. Thomas has done a fine job there for many years, but it’s time for him to step down. Since Samuel has some experience as a leader and knows the team well, I’ve made that assignment for him. I would much appreciate you working alongside him, as a sort of Assistant Area Leader, as you work on the projects I would like for you to look into. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”
As much as it stung to think he’d be answering to Samuel, a man half his age, at least it wouldn’t be Thomas. And he’d be second in command, so that was something. “That sounds reasonable,” Christian found himself saying.
“Wonderful. Now, I know you’ve got experience using bullets mixed with silver. Most of the teams are still hesitant to use guns at all. They’re frightened about the precision of aiming mechanisms, as well as the possibilities of Guardians being shot by Hunters. I know you have some experience with that as well. I understand you were present when Alexander Hamilton was shot?”
For a moment, Christian thought perhaps Jordan had misheard what had happened in California and was going to mention the fact that he’d recently been killed by a Hunter himself, though not from a bullet. The only two who knew for sure that Christian had died and was back again, besides Granger and Brandy, neither of which would be talking, were Christian himself and Jess. Jess would say nothing, and Christian had decided it was best to keep that secret to himself. The fact that he had heard rumors later on, after Hamilton had come back, of a dark creature hiding in a mountain range in Europe, one that may have come through the Blue Moon Portal when Hamilton came through, made Christian hesitant to take ownership of anything else that might’ve come through. Hamilton had already disappeared and was unaccounted for most of the time. A fine deal of good it had done to bring him back.
“I was there when Hamilton died,” Christian admitted. He said nothing about also being there when Hamilton came back.
Jordan didn’t ask. “I would love for you to work on the silver bullet project. I want to perfect our bullets so they are less harmful to all entities other than Vampires. Additionally, I would like for you to work on developing weapons with more accuracy. There are a few others working on this assignment at the moment that you’ll be in contact with. One is based in Washington, DC, so not too far from Philadelphia.”
Christian nodded. “That sounds like a project I would take interest in.”
“Wonderful. Additionally, we need to improve our communication methods. Presently, I have to rely on telegraphs to communicate with Area Leaders, and not all of them even have that capacity. I would like for you to study the possibilities. How can we best communicate with one another, quickly, and accurately?”
“I’ve already begun looking into the matter,” Christian assured him. “I have some ideas. They’re all theories, but it’s certainly an area of interest for me, as is tracking of Vampires.”
“Tracking?” Jordan echoed, scratching his chin.
“Yes. I believe it will one day be possible to put some sort of device into each Vampire so that we know where they are and what they are doing--whether they are following the established rules or not. Of course, not all Vampires may come in to receive their trackers, but they would be highly advised to do so.”
“You really think that’s a possibility?” Jordan asked, his head tipped to the side.
“I do. Someday.”
“Well, I must say, that’s a wonderful idea, as well. You are full of creative solutions to our current problems, Major.” Jordan stood. “I am grateful to have you in our service.” He came around the desk and offered his hand.
Christian shook it. “Thank you, sir. I am glad for the opportunity.” For the first time since Brandy had died, a legitimate smile fell into place across his face. Perhaps there was a position for him within this organization after all. For now, he would go to Philadelphia and begin to work on the projects Jordan had outlined. He’d have to be patient, but he was certain, one day, a great leadership position would be his.